Flue cutter



sept. 22, 1925.

w.' c. WILLIAMS FLUE CUTTER 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed "arch 1,

anvmato'o I v W QM 4 a fro Luau Sept. 22, 1925.

W. C. WILLIAMS FLUE CUTTER Filed March 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 22, 19.25.

UNITED STATES WILLIE CALEB WILLIAMS, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

FLUE CUTTER.

Application filed. March 1, 1924. Serial No. 696,261.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIE CALEB WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Flue Cutters, of which the following is a. specificzn tion. A

This invention relates to improvements in flue cutters, and particularly to a cutter of this type adapted for use in cutting through tubes, so that they may be removed from boiler sheets.

An'object of the invention is to provide a cutter holder and guide which willslip in the end of a boiler tube to position the cutter on the inside of the tube in back of the boiler sheet, a handle being provided for rotating the guide and support in the tube for actu ating the cutters, and means being provided which is movable relative to the guide and cutting support for seating the cutters carried thereby outwardly for actively engaging and cutting the tubes.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a cutter support provided with removable and interchangeable guide members which may be removed for the reception of other guide members to adapt the tool for use in connection with varioussizes of boiler tubes, ratchet means being also provided for rotating the tube so that it may be readily used in places where the rotation of the handle would be prevented by contact with the boiler walls.

In carrying out the above and other objects, the invention includes a cylindrical body,in which are radially movable, a plurality of cutter members having resilient means for normally drawing said members inwardly in the body, guiding collars being mounted on the body to guide the same into the end of the tube and a handle being ro tatably mounted on said body adjacent the outer end thereof, which is formed with an annular flange provided with ratchet teeth, has a pawl connection with said flange and also the ratchet ring arranged in spaced relation therewith, so that the rotation of the handle will operate to rotate the body member and the ring within the boiler tube, while a tapered pin is inserted through said body for seating the cutters outwardly to perform a cutting operation on the boiler tube; This will .eilectively cut and sever the major portime? the e teeth? at Portia? l tm which fits into the boiler sheet so that a small ring like end portion, only, remains of l the boiler sheet, which may be easily driven out with hammer and chisel.

The invention also includes other objects and improvements in the construction and posit-ion of the parts inv carrying out the above features, which are particularly oint ed out in the following detailed description and. claim, directed to a preferred form of the invention, it being understood, however,

that variations may be made in the specific construction of the parts and the arrangement thereof, Without departing from the spirit and scope of the description and claim.

In the drawing, forming a part of the application :v

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of the cover sheet, showing one of the flue tubes and the tube cutter constructed according to this invention, in operative position for cutting the tube, the parts being 1 of the springs carried by the handle for o-pera-ting one of the pawls ratchet.

1 indicates a boiler sheetof the usual and well known form, and 2 a flue or boiler tube mounted in said sheet in the usual and" well engaging the known manner, forming an assembled boiler structure.

The flue cutter includes th cylindrical body member 3, having an annular projecting flange at the outer end thereof indicated at 4:, and provided with peripheral ratchet teeth 5. A ratchet collar 6 is fixedly mounted on the member 3 in spaced relation to the annular flange 4: and is provided with peripheral ratchet teeth 7 disposed in a direction opposite to the teeth 5 on the flange 4,

the said ratchet collar being spaced from the flange 4; a distance sufficient to permit the mounting and free rotation of the handle assembly 8, between the flange and the collar.

The handle assembly includesan operating lever 9, having a semi-circular recess in we 1 t se re?! a? it h P hery 4 of the cylindrical body 3, and adapted to receive a cooperating U-grip 10, which is secured to the ends of-the-handlepor-tion 8, by bolts 11 and secure said lever in rotatable relation on the body 3. The operatinglever 9 is provided with a pair of projections 12 which are formed with aligned openings for receiving a rod 13 carrying a handle 14 at the outer end thereof, said rod being slidable; in said projection and adapted to be secured 'in'rigid relation in connection with the operating lever'9 by the set screw 15 threadably mounted in said projection and adapted to be operated to locksaid rod in connection therewith. Pawls' indicated at 16,. are "pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the operating lever 9 and in-opposite relation withone another for engagement'with the ratchet teeth on the'peripheries of the flange' iand theratchet collar 6, so that in the rotation of the operating lever by the handle 14, one or the other of the pawls will cooperate with. the respective ratchet teeth sothat the body 3 may be rotated in either direction. A projection '17 is mounted adjacent the central'portion opposite eachzpawl for receivinga coil spring'18which is projectcdfagainst the pawl andad'apted to move the saineinto engagementwith its respectiveratchet. Releasing members 19, clearly shown in detail in Figure 6, are mounted in the operating lever 9, an'dare'operablefor throwingthe pawls '16 out' of engagement with their respective ratchet, so that in the operation of the handle assembly, one orthe other ofthepawls can be set, and the other released, so as to rotate the body=3 in one direction only.

The central portionof the body 3 is formed with a plurality of openings 20, through 'which-projectthie cutter carrying members 21 which-areformed of substantially arcuate base sections 22, having'a pair of outwardly} directed :ears 23, which are adapted'to' extend throughthe openingv 20- in the body 3, and'to support a cutter element 24 fonrotation on a pin 25, beyond the periphery of the body 3, so that'the same may engage the inner side of'the boiler tube 2. for accurately. cuttingthe same. The retracting springs 26 are-mounted within the body 3 and are seated in the arcuate base section 22 of the cutter carrying member for: normally drawing said members inward- 1y toward'the axis or thebody 3. Ai-pair of guide collars27 of a suitable outer-'diameter for sliding engagement in-the tube 2 are removablymounted-on the body 3, and are interchangeable-with each other or may be removed for receiving; guide collars of awlarger' diameter for cooperation with a larger tube; These collars position'the body 3 inaxial-relationwith thetube, so that the cutter. members 2 aredirected radially outwardly against the insidesurface of the tube when operated to cut the same. An annular ring member 28 having an outer diameter substantially larger than the guide collars 27 is positioned between the inner guide collar and the ratchet ring 6, for engagement with the end of the boiler tube outside of the boiler sheet, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in order to limit the insertion of the body 3 into the'boiler tube. This also liinits the movement of the cutters into the boiler tube so that the'tube is severed at a point just inside of the inner wall of the boiler sheet." This annular ring, also serves in 00- operatiomwlththe guide ring: 27 to position the body 3 in a proper relation with the boiler tube. A tapered pin 29 is provided for insertion through the body 3 and for engagement with the inner arcuatefacesof the cutter carrying members 21, so that said members may be forced outwardly against the inner face of the boilertube-or flue for cutting cooperation therewith, the pin being driven inwardly as the cutters sever the tube so as to cut itentirelythrough and sever it from the endportion of the flue in the boiler seat, following .which the pin is withdrawn, followed by the withdrawal of the body 3, which will permit the main portion of the tube within the'boiler to drop away from the end of the boiler sheet and also leave a small ring of tube material in the sheet which can be readily driven out with hammer and chisel.

From the above description, it will be seen that a very simple and convenient form of. tool has been provided, for cutting boiler fines or tubes to sever the main portion of the tube in the boilerfrom'the part in the end wall, in order to remove oldand burnt out tubes from the boiler sheet' for replace ment with new ones, the .removal of the small ring ofmaterial left in the-sheet being very easily accomplished by hammer and chisel, as the short end is very weak after the severance ofthe lnainportion of the tube therefrom. 4

The tool is adapted for operation in most any position, especially in the corners of the boiler adjacent the fire box wall by reason of the ratchet structure of the operating lever 9, so that the turning of the body 3 maybe-effected by. relatively small-movement of the handle assembly 8.

What is claimed is:

Aboiler tube cutter including-a cylindrical tubular body having an integral annular flangeatits outer end provided with peripheral ratchet teeth, a :ratchet collar fixedly mounted on the body'in spaced relationto said flange, an operating handle rotatably mounted between said flange and said collar, independently. operable pawls pivotally mounted on the operating handle andadapted for independent cooperation with the ratchet teeth' on said flange and collar for effecting a rotation of the body in the direccuate formation, spring means anchored on tion of movement of the handle, said body he said body and connected With said cutting ing provided between its ends With circumferelement to normally move the latter inwardentialiy spaced openings, a pair of longitudily, and an expanding pin inserted into said nally spaced guide rings removably mountbody and having an inner tapered end upon 1 ed on the body on opposite sides of said openwhich the arcuate inner portions of said ings, cutting elements extending through cuttlng lfi e re engaged.

said openings and having their inner ends In testlmony whereof I aflalx y slgnaturedisposed Within the tubular body, the inner 10 ends of said cutting elements being of ar- WILLIE C. WILLIAMS. 

